Latest Fishing Reports: Galloper
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11/09/2023
Fishing Report by Scott Belbin
11 Sep 2023 by Scott Belbin
With the weather being so nice I have been flat out working long hours on the Galloper so I apologize for the lack of posts. It has been glorious out at sea the last couple of weeks though I must admit at times we have had to work hard for the fish. The main bulk of hounds seems to have moved out now although we are still seeing some nice fish though n places and expect to do so for some time yet. The warm weather has put back the arrival of the autumn whiting, dogfish and rays although they won't be far away. Our catches have been made up by the bass really in various sizes and amounts. Some days have been exceptionally good. Other days we have had to work harder to find them. Currently my next spaces are on Friday 15/09 @ £60pp after that I have spaces in October
Next spaces are
07/10- offshore bass trip 6 spaces @ £100pp
08/10- offshore bass 6 Spaces @ £100pp
22/10- offshore bass trip £100pp
Please call 07956411528 for more information -
31/08/2023
Fishing Report by Scott Belbin
31 Aug 2023 by Scott Belbin
Another stingray aboard Galloper this one fell to nick Bentley. Nick also had a couple of hounds and loooaaads of bassas did the rest of the crew. I have spaces tomorrow 01/09 @ £60pp then Monday and Friday next week aboard Galloper from brightlingsea Essex please call 07956411528
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28/08/2023
Fishing Report by Scott Belbin
28 Aug 2023 by Scott Belbin
We have continued to see some cracking hound's lately. There have been good numbers and a great average when we get among them. Although we catch them in various sizes and amounts throughout the year nowadays the main run of decent fish will draw to a close soon. I would say that this set of tides will likely be their last good showing of the year. Of course the bass continue to show and they are building in numbers on several of the offshore banks. I have spaces this week aboard Galloper from brightlingsea Essex for individuals and full boat bookings. so please contact me to book.
Next spaces
31/08-8 spaces @ £60pp
01/09- 5 spaces @ £60pp
02/09-offshore bass 1 space @ £100pp
08/09- offshore bass 3 spaces @ £100pp
15/09- 6 spaces @ £60pp
16/09- 4 spaces @ £60pp
Please call 07956411528 -
23/08/2023
Fishing Report by Scott Belbin
23 Aug 2023 by Scott Belbin
Sorry my reports have been a little irregular lately but I have been so busy aboard the Galloper and often out of signal range. The weather is great at the moment and the fishing has been pretty hectic at times. We continue to catch great numbers of smooth-hounds and often a really nice stamp too. Often fish of 8-10lb with a few doubles mixed in too. At times it's been a bit chaotic to be honest. The other day Tony's group had 30 odd by 9.45am. These better fish will only be here in numbers for one more set of tides or so before they go so don't miss out.
Neil had a nice bass of nearly 4lb amongst them too. The lads fancied a few more bass so we had a quick move and spent the rest of the day on them. We finished with over 30 and the lads easily caught their quota of two each with plenty of sport too. Not a bad day between 4 anglers. The bass are building on the offshore banks and I look forward to many more trips on them between now and the end of November.
Other species such as rays, dogfish and whiting are increasing I. Numbers too ahead of their autumn run.
I have individual spaces and possibility of full boat bookings over the coming weeks and months if you want to get out.
Remember it is often worth giving me a shout if you are cancelled else where and still wish to get out, as we have lots of sheltered fishing available and a big catamaran which makes it even more comfortable.
Spaces as follows
24/08- Clacton air show 2 spaces @ £60pp
30/08- full boat available from £490
31/08-8 spaces @ £60pp
01/09-8 spaces @ £60pp
08/09-offshore trip 5 spaces @ £100pp
15/09-8 spaces @ £60pp
Not all dates advertised, other spaces available for full boat bookings upon request
For regular updates, availability and more information please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk find us on social media or call Scott on 07956411528 -
19/08/2023
Fishing Report by Scott Belbin
19 Aug 2023 by Scott Belbin
There continues to be some cracking bass coming out at the moment. On both our offshore and general trips. I am looking forward to spending more time on them between now and the end of November. I have spaces this Tuesday (22nd) with suitable tides for offshore bass or general trip. The weather looks great too please contact me on 07956411528 to book individual spaces or full boat bookings.
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16/08/2023
Fishing Report by Scott Belbin
16 Aug 2023 by Scott Belbin
Hopefully you can enjoy some of the summer weather we are currently having. It certainly makes a nice change to the very unsettled summer so far.
Thankfully we haven't had to cancel much at all. The fishing has been very good, we benifit from using a big catamaran and have lots of sheltered marks available to fish.
There have been some quality fish around too. There are lots of schoolie bass inshore this time of year. Often we have seen 50 or more in just a short session on feathers and lures. These have produced some sizable bass along with some very decent fish. We had several trips where fish of 5, 6 or even 7.8lb showed. These are cracking fish to catch anywhere let alone the estuaries! Along with the bass we have seen some smooth-hounds and rays. The rays have surprised us by their numbers considering the time of year. This is probably a result of the cooler weather we have been experiencing as the dogfish have moved back in already too. Fishing these inshore marks also produces other lesser seen species such as eels and Dover sole. As I often say, I enjoy the challenge of finding a few decent fish when conditions are against us in areas I might not otherwise fish. It's also very rewarding to see the experience pay off with good results on what could be a hard day. Fair play to all of the anglers who have joined us. Even in some grim conditions they tried their hardest and caught me some fish. The right attitude makes all the difference as always.
Hopefully we get some more settled weather like over the coming months but even if we don't I am sure we will be catching fish.
I have spaces over the coming weeks so get in touch if you want to join us please.
Next spaces on
18/08- 4hr trip from midday £35pp
22/08-whole boat available for inshore or offshore trip
24/08- clacton air show 4 spaces @ £60pp
25/08- Clacton air show 3 spaces @ £60pp
26/08- general trip 4 spaces @ £60pp
28/08- general trip 1 space @ £60pp
01/09- 8 spaces @ £60pp
Please call 07956411528 to book -
07/08/2023
Fishing Report by Scott Belbin
7 Aug 2023 by Scott Belbin
With our main tope season now behind us I thought it would be a good time to take a look back at this years efforts. as ever there was no shortage of effort from the lads and we managed to get out and fish for them on just about every suitable tide. the weather tried its best to curtail our efforts but with the right people on board, fishing the right area and luck on our side we managed to get all of our trips in. of course having a big catamaran like Galloper helps with this too and she certainly earned her keep again this year.
As always with this kind of fishing it can bit hit and miss. After all we are targeting one specific species which just so happens to be an apex predator therefore is less numerous than other species lower down the food chain. That said we had tope on all but one trip and when we didn’t have tope we managed other quality fish such as decent bass, hounds or other species.
The Thames estuary is renowned for big tope and although we may not see record breakers each year the average stamp is still good. Most trips we saw fish between 35-45lb with several below this and one or two above this size. The biggest of the year fell to Martin at 47lbs and our best day I my opinion was 6 tope between 35-45lb and several more lost or missed. The most we had was over 20 just 2 days later but not a ‘decent’ fish came to the boat.
From any reports I have seen it looks like once again very few boats even bothered for tope locally. To be honest I only see the occasional private boat or very occasional charter boat targeting them around here now. one or two are caught as bycatch while fishing for other species but seemingly little interest or effort goes in. presumably that would put us as the tope tope boat locally but unfortunately by default rather than competition. This is not just lack of interest from skippers but more often lack of interest from anglers. so as ever I am grateful to the lads who invest their time and money with me. I am particular about how I like to target these fish and tend to vet the anglers that come toping with me. As I mentioned earlier these fish can be hit and miss so I was to stack the odds in our favour. With the lads that do join me I have faith that we will make the most of any chances that come our way. If you would like to join us tope fishing next year please get in touch and get a few trips in for other species first. There’s nothing worse than seeing an angler who’s not been out for a year loose the best fish of the day because he’s a bit rusty! These fish will find any weak point in you or your tackle but once hooked they are never forgotten.
Special mentions to some of my regular tope anglers like both Barry’s, Wayne and Ian Hewett for your continued efforts. great to see you get some decent fish again this year though some were harder earned than others. Also to some of the newer additions to tope angling who caught their first big fish like Kevin and Martin. Once again thanks to all of you for your efforts and giving me an excuse to go hunting big fish.
With our tope season finished most of our offshore trips from now to the end of November will be targeting bass in various places using various methods depending on conditions. From shallow water with worm and surface lures to deep water using lives and lures. Its nearly all light tackle and some of the best bass fishing you will find anywhere. this is better suited to beginners than my other offshore trips so you can hire tackle too. Please get in touch to be added to my mailing list or arrange individual or boat bookings.
Our general trips are still fishing well too despite the unsettled weather. I will post a report on our latest catches soon.
I have individual spaces and possibility of full boat bookings over the coming weeks and months if you want to get out.
Remember it is often worth giving me a shout if you are cancelled else where and still wish to get out, as we have lots of sheltered fishing available and a big catamaran which makes it even more comfortable.
Spaces as follows
09/08-full boat available from £490 or offshore trip available
14/08-full boat available from £490
15/08- full boat available from £490
16/08- full boat available from £490
17/08- full boat available from £490
18/08-half day trip from £250 or full day trip both starting from midday
22/08- full boat available from £490 or offshore trip available
Not all dates advertised, other spaces available for full boat bookings upon request
For regular updates, availability and more information please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk find us on social media or call Scott on 07956411528 -
25/07/2023
Fishing Report by Scott Belbin
25 Jul 2023 by Scott Belbin
As I'm sure you have noticed the weather has been quite unsettled of late. It's not what we have come to expect from summer the last few years. To be honest this weather can be better for the fishing than blasing heat and endless calm weather. Fortunately we have remained busy and haven't had to cancel a single trip aboard Galloper. We have used the shelter of the river blackwater and surrounding areas to our advantage. Luckily the fishing has been great with lots of small bass inshore as well as some keepers. At times there have been some cracking smooth-hounds as well which really pull our strings. It's been nice to see a few eels making an appearance too. These much moligned fish used to be a pain when I was younger before being overfished. We have had some nice Dover sole too along with several other odds and sods. Thornback ray numbers might be down on a few years ago but they have been making up our catches too. They come in all sizes though from postage stamp to double figure fish. I often say that I enjoy the challenge of finding a few fish in adverse conditions. it means that I fish marks that I fish marks I would otherwise Steam straight past on calmer days. It also means we are fishing in stingray territory which again I would usually be fishing outside of. I fish these marks in constant anticipation that the next fish could be a stinger. With a run of windy trips it was inevitable that we would get one and Alex was the lucky angler who caught our latest one. It's nice to have seen several this year already and hopefully there's more to come.
I have several days with full boat bookings and individual spaces available over the coming weeks so please get in touch if you want to join us.
Please bear in mind that I am often working out of signal range or could be on deck helping people when you call but I will get back to you asap.
Next spaces are as follows
02/08-3 spaces @ £60pp
03/08-boat available from £499
04/08-boat available from £490
05/08-offshore trip 1 space @ £100pp
07/08-offshore bass @ £100pp
08/08-boat available for offshore trips
09/08-boat available for offshore trips
10/08-land of no fish 4 spaces @ £110pp
11/08-land of no fish 7 spaces @ £110pp
Other dates in August on my calendar
Please call 07956411528 -
18/07/2023
Fishing Report by Scott Belbin
18 Jul 2023 by Scott Belbin
The Bass fishing aboard the Galloper continues to be very good. There are great numbers showing as we have come to expect over the last few years. there have been a few big fish showing amongst them too. We have seen several in the 6-8lbs over the last few weeks and with that stamp of fish around it was inevitable we would break into double figures sooner or later. That honour fell to Galloper regular and crewman Alex Canham. The fish was caught uptiding on bait and went 11.2lbs. this is currently the biggest so far this year aboard Galloper beating Mark’s fish from the spring which fell just shy of the double figures. Of course there is still plenty of time for this to be beaten.
We are seeing bass on most trips now in a variety of numbers and sizes depending on where we are and conditions on the day. our general trips have been producing some very good numbers of bass lately as well as the usual hounds, rays and other species. However your best chance of seeing numbers of decent bass is to join us for an offshore bass trip. When conditions suit we will be doing a lot of light tackle bass fishing on lures over the coming weeks and months. These early season trips can produce some of the biggest numbers and hectic action catching big numbers of bass on light tackle. Often surface lures or shallower diving plugs can produce some great sports. If not working lures, jigs and soft plastics deeper can be effective. As ever the good old hokkia feathers are a cheap and effective way to catch them too.
If they aren’t playing ball on the lures then bait can provide some hectic action and pick up some big fish. as we are often fishing in shallow water we can still enjoy fishing with light tackle and occasionally pick up a few other species too.
On our last offshore bass trip we had a variety of anglers with different levels of experience and everybody caught great numbers of fish. at the rate they were coming aboard I would hazard a guess at over 200 bass but to be honest its impossible to keep count with action like that. I am just arranging an offshore bass trip for next Monday (24th) and I currently have spaces. If you cant make this then please get in touch to be added to the list for the next run of offshore trips.
Of course the general fishing continues to produce lots of fish and some nice variety.
I have individual spaces and possibility of full boat bookings over the coming weeks and months if you want to get out.
Remember it is often worth giving me a shout if you are cancelled else where and still wish to get out, as we have lots of sheltered fishing available and a big catamaran which makes it even more comfortable.
Spaces as follows
24/07-offshore bass trip 6 spaces @ £100pp plus worm bait
31/07- full boat available from £490
02/08-23-3 spaces @ £60pp
03/08- full boat available from £490
04/08- full boat available from £490
13/08- 4 spaces @ £60pp
Not all dates advertised, other spaces available for full boat bookings upon request
For regular updates, availability and more information please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk find us on social media or call Scott on 07956411528 -
11/07/2023
Fishing Report by Scott Belbin
11 Jul 2023 by Scott Belbin
Another nice little stingray aboard Galloper from brightlingsea Essex the other day. Despite a blustery summer day we had lots of smooth-hounds with several double figure fish, several sizable bass, some small tope and an eel for our efforts. Next spaces are tomorrow 13/07 and Monday 17/07 @ £60pp please call 07956411528 for more information
